At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
—Matthew 18:1-4
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
—Luke 6:20
Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Your kingdom come." The surrounding events and conversations recorded in the gospels make it clear that they didn't know what that looked like. And—more than once—Jesus had to speak or act to prevent them from trying to create a kingdom that they wanted, a kingdom that wasn't the kingdom of Heaven.
Those two requests...
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
...read like Hebrew poetry, with its pattern of meaning sometimes called "thought rhyme"—saying the same thing with two parallel-but-different turns of phrase. A kingdom is the territory in which the will of the king is done.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record a moment in which Jesus asked, “How long must I bear with you?” of disciples who weren't yet ready to understand and do His will. His Father's will.
The kingdom was waiting. But time was growing short.
His Kingdom (part 3)
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
—Psalm 37:16
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
—Matthew 6:10
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
—Matthew 18:1-4
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
—Luke 6:20
Jesus taught His disciples to pray: "Your kingdom come." The surrounding events and conversations recorded in the gospels make it clear that they didn't know what that looked like. And—more than once—Jesus had to speak or act to prevent them from trying to create a kingdom that they wanted, a kingdom that wasn't the kingdom of Heaven.
Those two requests...
...read like Hebrew poetry, with its pattern of meaning sometimes called "thought rhyme"—saying the same thing with two parallel-but-different turns of phrase. A kingdom is the territory in which the will of the king is done.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record a moment in which Jesus asked, “How long must I bear with you?” of disciples who weren't yet ready to understand and do His will. His Father's will.
The kingdom was waiting. But time was growing short.